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Newsletter: Update - July 2013

Formative research completed

The first phase of our research is now finished. We’ve carried out 72 interviews in Australia and China. And we’ve undertaken observations of lectures and seminars. Yibing Liu, the project’s research assistant, has been working with Heather Yu in China to explore the learning cultures of the Chinese tertiary sector. They’ve been focusing primarily on the assumptions and expectations of students before they go abroad to study. They’ve also been examining lecturers’ views and teaching practices.

The translated Chinese data together with data about Australian learning cultures is now informing how and what we develop in terms of teaching and learning materials. Jennie Bickmore-Brand is currently drafting these materials with input from Lindy Norris (Murdoch University) and Fiona Henderson (Victoria University). The first set of draft materials – and accompanying teaching strategies - is currently being trialled in student support workshops, and in disciplinary teaching on postgraduate programs.

Conferences

Maree Keating and Fiona Henderson (both at Victoria University) went to China recently and aired some early ideas from the project. They attended a conference hosted in Shenyang by Victoria University (see photo above). Working with 55 Chinese academics from 8 partnership universities together with Australian English teachers based in China, they shared teaching, learning and research issues. The aim was not only to build and enrich partnership relationships, but also to reflect on some of the challenges that teachers face in preparing students for study in Australian universities.

In July, Christine Daymon (Murdoch University) presented to the annual conference of the Australia and New Zealand Communication Association. In a paper co-written with Lindy Norris (Murdoch), she introduced data about assessments and in-class discussions, based on interviews with students and staff in China and Australia. The presentation was entitled An Agenda for Change: Supporting Chinese Postgraduate Students Studying Media and Communication in Australia.

Upcoming activities

Lindy Norris and Christine Daymon will be disseminating findings at the annual conference of the Association for Academic Language and Learning in November. The presentation is entitled: Managing academic skills development and English language learning and use: The case of Chinese postgraduate coursework students studying in Australia. 

In September, the Communication University of China will run a seminar in Beijing for academics on the findings of the project, and introduce some of the learning materials. Heather Yu (CUC) will talk about Chinese perspectives, which will be complemented by Australian perspectives from Christine Daymon and Lindy Norris.

At Deakin University, Nina Weerakoddy begins soon to interview Chinese postgraduate students about their experiences of studying media and communication in Australia.

Find out more

We’re in Melbourne on November 12th 2013 discussing first results and draft materials. The full project team will be there plus other interested academics from around Australia. It will be an informal session and we would like to include anyone who is interested in the topic and keen to develop more effective teaching strategies to support international students. Please contact Linda Butcher, the project manager.

If you’d like more information generally (and can’t find it on our website), please feel free to email Linda. There are plenty of opportunities for other universities to get involved in research or trialing materials as they become available.

Associate Professor Christine Daymon
Project Director
July 2013

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